138 HISTORY OF CHEMISTRY. 



from the merit or value of the progress really made. 

 It would be easy to show, from the writings of 

 phlogistic chemists, what important and extensive 

 truths their theory enabled them to express simply 

 and clearly. 



That an enthusiastic temper is favourable to the 

 production of great discoveries in science, is a rule 

 which suffers no exception in the character of Bec- 

 cher. In his preface 4 addressed "to the benevolent 

 reader" of his Physica Subterranea, he speaks of 

 the chemists as a strange class of mortals, impelled 

 by an almost insane impulse to seek their pleasure 

 among smoke and vapour, soot and flame, poisons 

 and poverty. " Yet among all these evils," he says, 

 " I seem to myself to live so sweetly, that, may I die 

 if I would change places with the Persian king." 

 He is, indeed, well worthy of admiration, as one of 

 the first who pursued the labours of the furnace 

 and the laboratory, without the bribe of golden 

 hopes. "My kingdom," he says, "is not of this 

 world. I trust that I have got hold of my pitcher 

 by the right handle, the true method of treating 

 this study. For the Pseudochy mists seek gold ; but 

 the true philosophers, science, which is more pre^ 

 cious than any gold." 



The Physica Subterranea made no converts. 

 Stahl, in his indignant manner, says 5 , " No one will 

 wonder that it never yet obtained a physician or 

 chemist as a disciple, still less as an advocate." And 



4 Frankfort, 1681. s Pra>f. Phys. Sub. 17< 



